Los Straitjackets Revisit Their Roots With Reimagined 'Spinout'

08-11-2025

(MPG) Rock'n'roll veterans Los Straitjackets have shared their new single "Spinout" today along with an official video. The track is the latest to release off their forthcoming album Somos Los Straitjackets, the masked quartet's first new album of all-original material in over 13 years, which is due out September 19th through Yep Roc Records.

A reimagined version of a song originally recorded by guitarist Eddie Angel's other band The Neanderthals over 20 years ago, "Spinout" is bolstered by guest vocals from voice-over king Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants, Transformers, Rick & Morty).

"Another song with a past," stated Angel. "I originally recorded this with my band The Neanderthals. This is an upgraded version with key changes and the genius of Tom Kenny doing voiceovers."

"Spinout" follows the release of "Polaris," a track inspired by the vintage tones of surf rock's golden age and an official video that follows a once-legendary luchador exiled from the squared circle, embarking on a surreal pilgrimage to play the slightly-mythic arcade game titled Polaris. The suspenseful lead single "High Wire Act" is also out now, featuring retro surf-attack hooks and a raucous, spry groove. Glide recently hailed "Los Straitjackets make their long-awaited return with Somos Los Straitjackets" while Americana UK stated "this four-piece has coalesced into a tight rocking outfit."

Los Straitjackets have served as America's premier surf rock band for over three decades. They have taken their combo sound around the world, making instrumental records, but also assuming the role of all-star backing band along the way, most notably with Nick Lowe for over a decade. It's that collaboration that fuels Somos Los Straitjackets. The lineup that has been touring since founder Danny "Daddy-O-Grande" Amis had to drop out of day-to-day operations because of his (winning) battle against multiple myeloma is Eddie Angel, longtime bassist Pete "Mr. Pete" Curry, drummer Chris "Gringo Starr" Sprague (The Sprague Brothers, Deke Dickerson) and Rochester guitar hero Greg "Gregario" Townson (The Hi-Risers, John Ellison).

After recording with producer Alex Hall (JD McPherson, The Cactus Blossoms) at Reliable Recorders for Lowe's 2024 album Indoor Safari, the band knew they had met the man who could capture the renewed sound of this group. They began by tracking early demos at Pete Curry's Powow Fun Room studio in LA, then continued to fine-tune the new songs at soundchecks and even peppered them into live sets. The result is a down and dirty, electrifying, and beautiful album that pulsates with wit, twang and thunderous rock n' roll. Somos also features two re-recordings of pandemic-era remote compositions (Townson's "Genesee River Rock" and Angel's "April Showers") as well as a reimagined version of "Spinout," a track recorded by Eddie's other band The Neanderthals (bolstered by some guest vocals from voice-over king Tom Kenny).

"The recording process we used this time was different," stated Angel. "We got together numerous times at the studio to work up the songs, then we recorded demos to listen back to. Having some time to tweak the songs, and in some cases play them live, really helped when it came time to record."

With shimmering tremolo, relentless drum grooves, and hooks so catchy they don't need lyrics to get stuck in your head, Somos Los Straitjackets is produced with a vintage touch but packed with fresh intensity. It's both a love letter to rock 'n' roll's past and a declaration of purpose with feet firmly planted in the present. It demonstrates why Los Straitjackets have reigned as the kings of modern instrumental rock for over thirty years.

TRACK LISTING:
01) Bumper Car
02) Polaris
03) Genesee River Rock
04) High Wire Act
05) Numbskull
06) Two Steps Ahead
07) April Showers
08) Cry for a Beatle
09) Catalina Farewell
10) Copy Cat
11) Sentimental Fool
12) Bad Apple
13) Wicker Park
14) Spinout
15) Virgon

TOUR DATES:

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets:
08/12 - North Truro, MA @ Payomet Performing Arts Center
08/13 - Natick, MA @ Center For Arts In Natick
08/15 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
08/16 - Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest Cafe

Los Straitjackets:
10/03 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe's Alley
10/04 - Albany, CA @ The Ivy Room
10/05 - San Francisco, CA @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (w/ Nick Lowe)
10/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
10/24 - Homer, NY @ Homer Center for the Arts
10/25 - Rochester, NY @ Temple Theater
10/26 - Buffalo, NY @ Sportsmens Tavern
10/28 - Old Saybrook, CT @ Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
10/29 - Northampton, MA @ The Iron Horse
10/30 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/31 - Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
11/01 - Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
11/02 - Troy, NY @ Hangar on the Hudson